Resolution
by shadowjack12345
Summary: Party at the Tower! Raven has invited her new fella, much to the ire of a certain someone. Read it and stuff.


**Resolution**

**Late but here ya go, a New Years story.**

_"What? Are you kidding? That's crazy, dude! Me and Raven? No way, man. Never gonna happen. Nuh-uh and no how. You're crazy, man. You're crazy!"_

Raven's eyes cracked open, the words ringing in her ears. It had been weeks since she had overheard Beast Boy and Cyborg. Cyborg had apparently teased his friend with the notion of Raven as a girlfriend and Beast Boy had responded with those words that now filled her dreams. That would have been fine... if she hadn't rather hoped it wasn't true. In fact she wished she had known earlier: she had to return his Christmas present and replace it with something cheaper, more mundane and far less personal. No point in asking the question if one already knew the answer. Still, there had been one surprise in the time since: Raven was no longer single. In a string of deliberately uncharacteristic moves, Raven had agreed to go out dancing with Starfire to soothe her bruised heart - or at least drown it out for a while - had allowed a young man to talk to her and buy her (non-alcoholic) drinks and had even exchanged phone numbers with him. She had even invited him to the Tower tonight as her date to the Titans' New Year celebration. The guest list was fairly long and included many friends and colleagues, as well as people from the city. With a groan, Raven rose from her bed and got ready. All preparations for tonight were taken care of and out of her hands. As she walked the corridor, she thought about tonight with a mix of apathy and trepidation.

"Morning, Rae!" Beast Boy cried upon seeing the demoness. She was surprised to say the least.

"You're up early," she remarked. He nodded.

"Yeah... excited for tonight, I guess," he chuckled. Raven glanced away.

"Yes... tonight," she muttered. Beast Boy's smile dampened.

"Rae? Is everything okay? You seem a little pensive," he asked. Raven decided to ponder his use of the word 'pensive' later. As she looked at him, she told herself that, even if he wanted nothing more, he was her friend and she needed to get used to treating him as such. She sighed.

"I am. Robert is coming tonight and, traditionally, one celebrates the countdown to the New Year with a... a kiss," she said, with effort. Beast Boy swallowed.

"You... you don't want to kiss him?" he asked quietly.

"No. Yes. I don't know..." Raven said. Beast Boy edged closer.

"Do you even like him, Rae?" he asked. Raven glared at him.

"Of course I like him. He's well-spoken, intelligent, sensitive-" she started.

"Ooookay," Beast Boy interrupted. "I get it, he's perfect for you. I was just checking. Y'know, looking out for you." Raven crossed her arms.

"Well, I don't need you to look out for me," she asserted. Beast Boy shook his head.

"Still gonna do it," he exclaimed, running out the door. Raven stared after him.

The party was in full swing and a grand affair. Starfire and Robin were the centre of attention and Starfire was thrilled while Robin tolerated it. Of course the Titans wore civilian clothing and, per the guidelines on the invitations, were dressed more casually then formally, if still dressing up a little. Starfire had worn a short, strapless black dress that ignored the guidelines and got everyone's attention. Raven had opted for grey skinny jeans and a dark blue t-shirt with black heeled boots. The shirt also had a stylised black bird on it. Simple but, according to Robert, very effective. She smiled as he had complimented her. He and most of the other boys in attendance wore jeans or pants with button-up shirts worn with no tie and, invariably, the sleeves rolled up. Robert had worn black shoes where the others had opted for sneakers or boots. Most of the evening had been pleasant if slightly dull. Things began to liven up when Robert finally met Beast Boy.

"Heya, Rae! Lookin' great tonight!" he enthused as he had with every other female in attendance. Despite knowing this, Raven flushed slightly, a fact which Robert took note of along with the fact he had failed to cause such a reaction himself. He extended his hand toward the shapeshifter.

"Beast Boy, pleased to meet you! I'm Robert, Raven's boyfriend," he said. Raven was a little irked by the label but decided it wasn't an opportune moment to correct him. Beast Boy's smile faltered for a moment but remained in place. He clutched Robert's hand.

"Hey, great to put a face to a name. Now we can all meet the guy who sweet-talked our Raven!" he said. Their hands were still clasped.

"Your Raven?" Robert asked. "Surely Raven is her own woman," he said, prodding for a reaction.

"Sure," Beast Boy answered. "She doesn't belong to us... she belongs _with_ us." Raven glanced at the two men, their hands still shaking, not knowing where the sudden tension had come from. Beast Boy, to his credit, saw Raven's distress and released Robert's hand. Robert grinned at his perceived victory.

"Good meeting you, BB," he said. Internally, Beast Boy bristled at the unwelcome familiarity. Externally, he remained smiling.

"You too, Bob. I'm gonna go get a drink or something," he said, walking away with a smile.

"I hate being called Bob," Robert lamented. Raven suppressed a smile. "The pipsqueak has a good idea, though: I'm gonna get a drink. You want anything?" he asked. Raven shook her head.

"No, thank you. And the pipsqueak has a name," she warned. Robert smiled but turned away with a sneer on his face. He looked for Beast Boy... there he was, leaving the room. Robert followed. Raven had seen him and Beast Boy leaving and, fearing that her companions might turn out to be imbeciles, followed quietly. She levitated down the corridor to eliminate her footsteps and stopped outside a vacant bedroom: she could hear voices.

"I got something to say to you," Robert said.

"I'm sure you do. That's why I arranged for some privacy," Beast Boy answered. There was a pause.

"... You knew I'd follow you," Robert realised.

"Yup. You're kind of obvious," Beast Boy said. Raven could feel Robert's temper rising.

"Obvious, huh? Well what's obvious to me is that you're trying to muscle in on my turf," he growled. Raven frowned: his voice, his diction... it was all different. His usual bearing was gone and replaced by swaggering confidence and entitlement... or perhaps her version was the falsehood. She listened in again.

"Your _turf_?" Beast Boy asked with undisguised contempt.

"Don't think I don't see it," Robert continued. "The way you were watching her... it's a waste of time, little man. A girl like that? A guy like you has zero chance, so you might as well get out of my way. She'll never think of you as anything other than 'little buddy BB'." Raven squeezed her eyes shut: he was wrong! Should she go in there? She could sense Beast Boy's pain at Robert's words and her mind reeled with the implication: Beast Boy felt for her what she felt for him. Then, to her astonishment, Beast Boy started to laugh, loud and clear. She could sense Robert's anger and confusion.

"You think that makes a difference? You think I won't protect Raven because she would only be my friend? You're a special kind of stupid, dude," Beast Boy said. Raven's heart sang.

"I'm warning you-" Robert began.

"_You're_ warning _me_?!" Beast Boy blurted incredulously. Robert spoke icily.

"Hey, I'm smart enough not to pick a fight with a superhero in his own house... but if you say anything, I'll spill to Raven all about your crush and I'll do it in front of everyone else. I'm sure you know how Raven might feel about that kind of public display..." Raven felt Beast Boy's resolve crumble into impotent rage.

"You're an ass," he snarled.

"Maybe, but you're the loser here. Later, BB," he said. Raven vanished into the shadows as he exited. Beast Boy stood still, clenching his fists and considering his options: expose Robert or suffer humliation and Raven's temper. He sighed. He knew what he had to do. He made to return to the common room and planned to try and separate Raven if he could. If it came down to it, he would tell Raven everything himself. It would be worth it to spare her any hurt by Robert. As he entered the common room, he sudenly realised he might be too late. Everyone was counting.

**"Ten!"**

He searched through the crowd, looking for that tell-tale purple hair, a flash of grey skin.

**"Nine!"**

He saw her. Robert was already there. He pushed through the crowd who largely ignored him.

**"Eight!"**

Robert saw Beast Boy coming and smirked sadistically. He wrapped his arm around Raven and pulled her close.

"**Seven!"**

"Come here, Babe," he whispered, leaning in for a kiss, feeling flesh against his lips. Beast Boy stopped dead, feet from the pair.

**"Six!"**

Robert looked down. Raven's fingers pressed against his mouth, stopping his advance. She stared at him dispassionately yet he knew, instinctively, that he was in trouble. She raised a brow at him.

**"Five!"**

"..._Turf_?" she hissed. In a heartbeat, he was gone, teleported to the island outside the door. He left before he could attract the ire of any other superheroes.

**"Four!"**

"Raven?" Beast Boy breathed, amazed and beyond glad at what he had just witnessed. Then he realised she had referenced his conversation with Robert, eyes wide with panic.

**"Three!"**

"He was wrong, Beast Boy," Raven yelled over the crowd.

**"Two!"**

"Wrong about what?" Beast Boy shouted back.

**"One!"**

"_Me!_" Raven yelled with a nervous smile.

**"Happy New Year!"**

The crowd roared and music played, party poppers popped and glasses clinked. Beast Boy heard none of it. He was aware of only three things: one, he was there; two, Raven was there; three... Raven was kissing him. There was nothing but them and the kiss. He cautiously placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her towards him. She rested her hands on his chest and allowed it. The kiss was chaste, gentle and utterly, unspeakably, perfectly wonderful. After an unknown time, they separated and let the world back in. They looked around for a moment at the celebrations before returning their attention to each other. He grinned and she reciprocated with a tiny, genuine smile.

"Happy New Year, B- Garfield," she said. He practically melted.

"Happy New Year, Raven... though I don't think the rest of the year can measure up to this!" he laughed. Raven slipped her hands under his arms and around his back, pulling him against her.

"Don't be so sure," she whispered, her lips ghosting against his ear. He shivered in her arms and leaned his head against hers, resolving to forget everything else and just enjoy their closeness.

**THE END**

**Late, though I managed to get it out for New Year's Day (by my reckoning). I feel sorry for pairing Raven with an asshole, even temporarily lol. Hope you like it!**

**-Jack**


End file.
